Vientiane, Laos – worth a day as you pass through

After arriving in Vientiane, the capital of Laos (full name: Lao People’s Democratic Republic), it was too early to check in, so we dropped our bags in the lobby and set off to wander around the city. Full disclosure: it was smaller than we’d expected, and we crossed nearly the entire city by lunch time.

We arrived at this stupa, called That Dam. Of course, in English, this name sounds funny, so there are a lot of jokes to be made. There are several businesses nearby that have taken up this mantle, such as “That Dam Wine House,” etc.

Next, we walked toward the Presidential Palace.

From there, we headed north along the main avenue to the arch.

The arch was really interesting. Aside from having some great signs, the architecture and design were amazing.

The views from the top (and the breeze, since it was really hot & humid) were definitely the best price. The 25 cents to climb up was definitely worth it.

After this, we walked back to the hostel to go check in, take showers, then go find lunch.

The signage at the hostel & the “where are your from?” room provided endless amusement.

After some Indian food for lunch with J & M, whom I’d met on the train from Bangkok and came to the same hostel I was at, we wandered around a bit in the afternoon but mostly took it easy. During the evening, we walked the town a bit, had some Italian food for dinner, and mostly just relaxed. I’d had quite the journey and needed to rest up. After playing pool for a few hours, we decided to call it a night.

That was when things got interesting.

We opened the door to see what had happened, and there was water all over the floor. Luckily, all of my stuff was sitting on my bed, so I was really relieved. We had to move to a new room after 11pm, which made our new roommates not very happy, but what can you do?

After sleeping in until almost the end of “free breakfast” in the morning, we mostly relaxed, checked out, and then went to a vegetarian all-you-can-eat buffet I’d found online. After stuffing ourselves a bunch (for only $2), we figured out some onward plans and then waited for the bus to Vang Vieng.

Vientiane was interesting for a day, but I wouldn’t spend much more than that. It’s mostly just a hub for people getting to/from somewhere else, and I’ve come to understand why. It’s not bad, it just lacks enough to hold your attention for more than 24 hours.

We loaded into the van (where the luggage space was just where a chair in the back had been removed) and headed into the mountains for the crossing to Vang Vieng.